Gas-engine.



Nb. 829,279. PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

B. B. MEARS. I GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.Z1,1905.

SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H l Iil $1 wanlfow jar/107d j, 7/1/ 071)" Witneoom PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

B. B. MEARS.

GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 829,279. PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

B. B. MEARS. 9

GAS ENGINE.

APPLIGAT-ION FILED MAB..21, 1905.

3SHEETSSHEET 3.

l to

the cylinder, arrangement.- Ii

ponding parts in all the figures of-the draw?' .and eflEicient type in which nearly continuous and will the' wear, tear, use of such elements, also economizmg the rendering the engine comparatively quiet 'the nature of which wil fully described,

a longitudinal section through UNITEDSTATES' "BERNARD B; MEAR-S, OF BALTIMORE,

PATENT oFFIoE.

' MARYLAND.

GAS-ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern 7' Be it known that I, BERNARD B. MEARs a citizen of the United States, residing at 1242' Jackson street, in S'tateof Maryland, have invented new and use Im rovements in 'Gas Engines, of which the ollowing is a-specification. This invention relates to gas-engines, rthe object being to providea simple, economical, gas-engine of the high-speed the reciprocatory movements of the pistonare directly converted into totaryl fmotion within the cylinder of the engine itse 1 A further object of the invention is to pro- .vide a construction of engine. by means of which the expansive force of gas will be be effective d'ur- 1ng several revolutions of the driving-shaft. By means of the construction'hereinafter described piston-rods, connecting-rods, and the ,usual cranks are dispensed with, as also and friction incident to the space required for the engine and making the same more compact and of less weight. It will also be seen that less gas is employed, and consequently smaller explosions, thus and noiseless in operation.

With the above and other objects in view,

the description roceeds, the invention consists inthe nove construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, *as' hereinafter illustrated, and claimed. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an engine embodymg the present invention, showing the exhaust-valve closed and the piston near one end of its stroke. Fig. 2 is an end' elevation of the engine looking toward the geared ends of thescrew-shafts, the fly-Wheel bein removed. Fig. 3'is a view inelevation o the opposite end of the engine. Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section through the bottom portion of showing .the' admission-valve 5 isa .v-iew in'elevation of-the exhaust-Va ve. Fig. 6 is-a sectional view of the gas-admission valve. Fig. 7 is a similar view of the air-admission valve.

Like reference-numerals designate corre- Specification of Letters ratent. Li u'mion filed March-21,1905. Serial m. 261,283.

the city of Baltimore and v more'fully appear as 3 engine-cylinder, provided with theiusual heads .2 and 3, bolted or otherwise-secured thereto} 4 represents the piston, cate lengthwise of the c linder and provided along its eriphery wit suitable for prom ing' a gas-tight joint between the cylinder and piston. Extending along'the 6, centrally of which is located an exhaustve into the end portions of'the of the-ports wand "11 cially with the. passages 8 and 9 and also leading to -'an exhaust-plpe 15, provided with a laterally-offset chamber, or casing 16, in which is arranged a rotar fan 17, the pur pose of which will hereina terappear; Extending centrally throu h the cylinder is the main engine-shaft 18, t 'e end portions of which are journaled in the one end of the shaft 18 being ceive the fl -wheel 19, while' the o positc end of said shaft is extended beyond t e cylinder and provided with agovernor'20, which operates upon oneend' of a throttle-lever 21 when the s eed of the" engine becomes excessive, and thereby controls a ,throttle-lever mounted in a 'valve-casing 22, located at a suitable oint in the as-supply pipe 23, leading to thb engine. and locatedwithin the o posite endsof the cylinder are. buffer or cusliioninfg springs 24, adapted to receive the impacto thepiston '4 and prevent the same from coming in suddenand IIIjUIlOIIS contact .with. the ad'missionvalve connections, to be hereinafter -de-. scribed.

Arranged parallel to. the shaft '18 and on -o posits sides thereof are parallelscrews afts 25 and 26," which extend the "entire 111 S. I lieferring to the drawings, 1 designates thei The shaft 25 is extended .at oneend and adapted to reci rovalve casing or chamber 7, with op 'ositel assagesS- and9 leading om t e.

deslgnates an oscillatory exhaust valve 13 and 14, adapted to communicate espe- I I PatentedAug .21, 1906.

packing -5 periphery of the cylinder is an; offset chamber communicating. with the cylincylinder-hea'ds, extended to re ncirclmg the shaft 18 I length of the cylinder, the ends of saidshafts I05- the pitch of the threads on IIO with the gear-wheel 29 and is keyed to or otherwise fastened upon the main engine-l shaft 18, as shown in Figs, 1 and 2, thus proheld seated by means of springs 36.3,.so vthat when the lever 6-1is not aetinithereon' the viding for the simultaneousrotation of the shafts an l 26 and the transmissionof the motion of said shafts to the engine-shaft.

The shaft 25 isprovided at its opposite end with a threaded extension 34, the threads'oi' which are pitched similarly to the threadson said shaft within the cylinder. Mounted. upon the threaded extension 34 is an'ut or .traveler 35, which is prevented from rotation by means of a lateral pro'ection or lug 36, which rides in contact Widkfl suitable guide 37, connected to the cylinder-head. At one side thi nut is provided with lips or stops 38, between which is received one extremity of an exhaust-valve shift-lever 39, fulcrumed at 40 on a suitable bracket and having con nected to its opposite end at 41 a rod 42,

, which extends toward the exhaust-valve 12 and is operatively associated therewith by means of a yoke or elbow 43, whereby the motion of the lever 39 is imparted to the exhaust-valve for rocking or oscillating the latterand movingthe passages 13fand 14 into and out of registry with the passages 8 and 9 above referred to. By the means described the movements of the piston'are imparted to the exhaust-valve, so as to open and close the latter at properly-timed intervals.

Arranged in opposite ends of the cylinderv arc gas-inlet valves 44 and 45, mounted to reciprocate within suitable valve-casings 46, provided with ports 47, through which the gas is admitted into the cylinder. Connected with the valves44 and 45 are stems 48 and 49, which are operated by means of levers 50 and 51, fulcrumed intermediate their ends, as shown at-52, the opposite ends of said levers'being connected pivotally to the stems 53 of air-inlet valves 54, mounted within suitable valVe-casin s 55, communicating with'the interior of t e cylinder andthe atmosphere. The gas and air admission. or inlet 'valvesworkin the same direction and are so disposed as to simultaneously open and close, thus-at the same time admitting air and gas in the properproportions into the cylinder and also simultaneously cuttingoif the same.

l.he'mechanism for operating the admission-valves willn'ow be'described- The shaft' :36 provided with a threaded extension 56, the threadsof which are disposed reversely' vided with a projection fipflwhich comes in.

contact witho'ne extremitybf alever' 61-, fulcrumedv intermediate: itsend's, the other extremityof said lever being ada ted to cooperate with a valve-stem 49,- w "ch connects with the lever 51 for moving or rocking" the latter. "The admission-valves are'fiiorm'ally springs act to seat the valve. s the runner 57 moves-outward it cooperates-with the lever 61 ,which acts in turn .to unseatfthe admission valves at the proper time andfor the proper period to admit the'charge or mixture to. the cylinder. A similar arrangement of valve-operating connections is provided at the opposite-end. of the cylinder, the only difference being that insteadof thejthreaded extension 56 a se arate threaded counter-shaft 64 is employe which is geared to the shaft 26 by means of a'spur gear-wheel 65, meshing therewith and fast on the shaft 64. A run ner 66 travels on the shaft 64 and cooperates with a lever 67, which actuates the rod 68, corresponding with the rod 62 and connecting with the lever '50= The gas-supply i pe 23 communicates with an extension 69, w 'ch runs along the outside of the cylinder and is provided with branches 70 and 71, which communicate with the gas-admission valve. In opposite ends of the cylinder are arranged pairs of elastic or spring-electrodes .72, between each pair of which operates a springprcssed plunger-stem 73, which carries a sparking point 74, which in its movements back and forth under the impulseimparted.

to it by the movin piston 4 produces a spark,

thereby igniting t e charge in its respective end of the cylinder.

source of electrical ener y. I

From the fOIB OIHg description it Wlll be seen that as the'plston travels back and forth,

it imparts rotary motion to the shafts 2 5 and 26, which in turnim part rotary motion to the engine-shaft through the medium ofthe driven rat'chets, connectedpawls, and gear 33, as shown in Fig. 2. The screwshaits also actuate andcontrol the admission and exhaust valves by means ofthe connections described, the parts being so timed as to' admit the charges at the pro er moment,,com-

press the same, and ignlte t cm. In order to start the engine, one of the screw-shafts is provided with a starting-crank 76, b means of which the operator may manual y move the piston to one end of the cylinder, admit a charge by manipulating one of the valyes 48 or 49, and operating the proper sparking Conductor-wires ex tend from the electrodes 72 to a suitable? plug by hand, so as to ignite the charge, each of the sparking devices being provided with a handle or knob 7 7 for that purpose.

78 designates a reliefcock to relieve compression from the cylinder in the operationof starting the engine.

It will be noted from the operation described that the ignition of the gas takes place just previous to the limit of movement of the piston on the compression-stroke.

It will be apparent that the invention is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction, which may accordingly be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I. claim as new is 1. An engine embodying a main driving shaft, a fly-wheel thereon, a piston movablelengthwise of said shaft, a cylinder surrounding the piston and shaft, and parallel screwshafts extending through the piston lengthwise of the cylinder, said shafts being geared to the engine-shaft and also having connec tions for controlling the admission and exhaust, substantially as described.

2. A gas-engine comprising a cylinder, a driving-shaft extending lengthwise thereof, a piston movable lengthwise of the cylinder upon the driving-shaft, and a screw-shaft actuated by said piston and geared to the driving-shaft, said screwshaft being operatively connected with the inlet and exhaust mechanism.

3. A gas-engine comprising a cylinder, at driving-shaft extending lengthwise thereof, a piston movable lengthwise on said shaft within the cylinder, a screw-shaft arranged parallel to the driving-shaft and actuated by the piston, said screw naft being geared to the driving-shaft, operative connections between the screw-sled t and the supply and exhaust mechanism, and a sparking device arranged in the path of the piston.

41. A gas-engine comprising a cylinder, driving-shaft extending through the piston lengthwise of the cylinder and journaled therein, a piston movable within the cylinder lengthwise of the driving-slnrft, twin. screwshafts arranged parallel to the driving-shaft on opposite sides thereof, said screw-shafts being geared. to the drivingshaft, threaded extensions on the scr'ew-s at ts, and connections between said threaded extensions and the admission and exhaust valves for oper ating the latter.

5. A gas-engine comprising a cylinder, a driving-shaft extending lengthwise through the same, a piston mounted within the cylinder to move lengthwise of the driving-shaft,

a screw-shaft extending parallel to the drivlengtlnvise of the cylinder upon in -shaft and actuated by the piston, an extension. of said screw-shaft having threads in- 6 5 elined reversely to the threads within the cylinder, arunner movable on said threaded extension, and connections between the said runner and one of the engine-valves for automatically controlling the same.

6. A gas-engine comprising drivinghaft extending centrally through the same, a reci rocatory piston movable lengthwise on said shaft, screw-shafts parallel to the driving-shaft on opposite sides of the latter and within the cylinder, said shafts being actuated by the piston, runners mounted on extensions of said screw-shafts, an exhaust-valve, air and gas, admission valves coupled in pairs, and connections between the runners and said valves for operating the latter.

7. A gas-engine comprising a cylinder, a driving-shaft extending centrally through the cylinder, a piston mounted to travel said shaft, screw-shafts on opposite sides of the drivingshaft parallel therewith and actuated by the piston, runners mounted on extensions 0 said shafts, an exhaust-valve, admissionvalves, and levers cooperating with said runners and adapted to impart movement to the admission and exhaust valves, substantially described.

8. A gas-engine comprising a cylinder, a drivin '-shaft mounted to rotate centrally thereo a piston movable lengthwise of said shaft within the cylinder, and means for communicating motion from said piston to the driving-shaft, said means serving to operate the admission and exhaust valves.

9. A gas-engine comprising a cylinder, a driving-shaft mounted for movement within the cylinder, a piston movable lengthwise said shaft within the cylinder, means mounted within the cylinder and operated by the piston, said means being geared to the driving-shaft and revolved within the cylinder,

by the reciprocating movement of the piston.

10. A gas-engine comprising a cylinder, at drivingsliaft mounted to rotate centrally thereof, a piston. movable lengthwise of said shaft within the cylinder, duplicate shafts arranged within the cylinder and passing through the piston, said shafts being revolved in reverse directions in the reciprocating movement of the pistdn, the driving-shaft and said duplicate shafts being arrangedin different planes longitudinally of the cylinder to prevent rotary movement of the piston during its reciprocation.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BERNARD B. MEARS.

Witnesses:

M. GALLANT, B. BLUMENTHAL.

a cylinder, 9. 

